Trying out something new
I've been just hammered lately and it's affecting everything, and it's hard on Brad because the hobbit lunches haven't been very predictable, with end times anywhere from 1pm on an absolutely brilliant day to 3pm. Ugh! I've been flaring up twice a day and often have a monster one kick in right before I ought to be getting up to prep food.
So we discussed this because the extra flareups do not seem to be going away anytime soon, and we don't want to give up the daily walks (having my bones not turn to jelly is a good thing, and I'm spending most of my day in bed with all of these flareups so they are highly encouraged to stop being useful bones.) We also naturally do not want to give up the hobbit lunches, because we both really love food and they've managed to be both healthy and delicious. But having me be a zombie from 10am-2pm is cramping them.
So on the theory that the morning flareup is at least partially allergy-triggered, I'm no longer taking my walk in the morning. Instead I'm getting onto the lightbox (so I keep the nice circadian anchoring that I was getting from the morning walks) with a cutting board full of salad veggies, which I can sort of hack through in my poky way as I soak up lumens. That and breakfast prep, with the idea being that I should be eating breakfast, oh, once a day would be good. Then I can get up and have breakfast.
So far I've then been crashing pretty quickly after breakfast, but I'm not crashing as hard as I was with the morning walks. I am actually able to get out of bed when it's time to prep lunch, a nice change, and it's easier to get through the lunch prep because I've done (or we've done if it's a big prep day) all of the prep in the morning. I just am assembling the salad instead of chopping it; the only thing I need to cut up is the fruit. Getting lunch done by 12:00 or 12:30? Madness! In a good way!
Then I go for a walk, and if I'm not doing well (I was in a full flareup on yesterday's walk) then it's very short, like a block, and we take a rain check for an evening walk. Jack does not mind even slightly the concept of having three, THREE, walks in one day. Or two. Or, you know, walks in general, as many as we would like. I was able to walk farther on yesterday's evening walk, though my legs were badly cramped -- I at least wasn't flared up at the same time.
Anyhow, the noonish/early afternoon walks have (I think) a lower pollen count, nothing pending at the end of the day that a crash will scotch, and better sun exposure for natural vitamin D creation. They are short enough that I won't burn even if I don't wear sun protection. So they are hitting a few goals there.
So far so good; it seems to spread out the general brutality of double-crashing, and it also gives me a lighter need-to-be-functional curve, where I am not handling sharp objects at the time of day when I am usually also crashing the worst, but instead while sitting down so I don't tire out as fast, at a time of day when I am usually at least semi-functional.
So we discussed this because the extra flareups do not seem to be going away anytime soon, and we don't want to give up the daily walks (having my bones not turn to jelly is a good thing, and I'm spending most of my day in bed with all of these flareups so they are highly encouraged to stop being useful bones.) We also naturally do not want to give up the hobbit lunches, because we both really love food and they've managed to be both healthy and delicious. But having me be a zombie from 10am-2pm is cramping them.
So on the theory that the morning flareup is at least partially allergy-triggered, I'm no longer taking my walk in the morning. Instead I'm getting onto the lightbox (so I keep the nice circadian anchoring that I was getting from the morning walks) with a cutting board full of salad veggies, which I can sort of hack through in my poky way as I soak up lumens. That and breakfast prep, with the idea being that I should be eating breakfast, oh, once a day would be good. Then I can get up and have breakfast.
So far I've then been crashing pretty quickly after breakfast, but I'm not crashing as hard as I was with the morning walks. I am actually able to get out of bed when it's time to prep lunch, a nice change, and it's easier to get through the lunch prep because I've done (or we've done if it's a big prep day) all of the prep in the morning. I just am assembling the salad instead of chopping it; the only thing I need to cut up is the fruit. Getting lunch done by 12:00 or 12:30? Madness! In a good way!
Then I go for a walk, and if I'm not doing well (I was in a full flareup on yesterday's walk) then it's very short, like a block, and we take a rain check for an evening walk. Jack does not mind even slightly the concept of having three, THREE, walks in one day. Or two. Or, you know, walks in general, as many as we would like. I was able to walk farther on yesterday's evening walk, though my legs were badly cramped -- I at least wasn't flared up at the same time.
Anyhow, the noonish/early afternoon walks have (I think) a lower pollen count, nothing pending at the end of the day that a crash will scotch, and better sun exposure for natural vitamin D creation. They are short enough that I won't burn even if I don't wear sun protection. So they are hitting a few goals there.
So far so good; it seems to spread out the general brutality of double-crashing, and it also gives me a lighter need-to-be-functional curve, where I am not handling sharp objects at the time of day when I am usually also crashing the worst, but instead while sitting down so I don't tire out as fast, at a time of day when I am usually at least semi-functional.